Meal cooker



M. W. FAHERTY.

MEAL COOKER.

APPLICATION FILED nsc.31. 1919.

Patented oct. 3,1922.

Patented @et d, i922..

IVLICI-IAEL W. FHERTY, Ol? IKE?. Ell-HS, TENT-T ASSGNR TO iLFRED W.FRENCH, @E P QUA, 62H10.

MEAL COOKER.

Application led :December 3l, 1919.

This invention relates to improvements inl cookers ot the kind used forcooking or heating oil bearing meal preparatory to express ing the oilthereirom. llore particularly, the invention relates to means forregulating the level or quantity oit the material in steam cookers otthis kind, and analogous apparatus, which comprise a plurality otchambers or kettles arranged in a descend ing series and provided withdischarge gates or devices adapted to be operated so that the materialis delivered from one chamber to the nekt lower one in succession forthe purpose oi' controlling the lcpuantity ot' material in the severalchambers, and the period of time required ior the passage ot thematerial through the apparatus.

It is essential to the correct operation ot some cookers ci' this sortto regulate the level oit the meal in the lirst or top chamber, oriprevent more than a predetermined quantity from accumulating therein.This is particularly desirable in those cookers in which the kettles orchambers are emptied one into another in rotation. lf the quantity oi'terial in the top kettle should be more than enough, after it has passedthrough the cooker to the bottom kettle, to completely fill the line cipresses, some meal will be left in the bottom kettle when the discharging mechanism is started again to drop the meal from each kettle intothe next lower one. The meal is, therefore, apt to collec-t in thebottom kettle more and more after successive operations ot the cooker,and there is no certainty in tne cooking ot the meal. To insureuniformity, the quantity of meal in the top kettle should be controlledso that substantially the same amount will be delivered from kettle tokettle Whenever the discharge gates or devices are operated.

One object of the present invention is to provide practical anddesirable means tor regulating the level or quantity oit the material inthe top chamber ot apparatus et the sort mentioned, which means` isprefer ably adjustable tor determining theamount Serial No. 348,636.

as required, so that a definite, predetermined amount may be dischargedtherefrom each time that the discharge gate for the top chamber isopened.

Another object is to provide a level regulating means for the purposestated, which is ladapted to cooperate With the gate actuating mechanismof the cooker to regulate the amount or material in the top chamber. andto discharge therefrom tothe outside any material in excess of therequired amount. Also to improve apparatus oit' this sort in otherrespects hereinafter set Yforth.

ln the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation of an automatic meal cooker or apparatus,provided With regulatingl means embodying the invention, :torcontrolling the level or amount oi meal in the top chamber.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the cooker, showing thegates and part ot the actuating mechanism for controlling the dischargeot material from one kettle or chamber to the next one below.

F ig. 3 is a vertical sectional elevation of the regulating means shownin llig. l, online 3 3, thereof.

Fig. a is an enlarged fragmentary7 vertical section thereof at rightangles to Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation oi a slightly modiiied termor the adjusting means.

il represents an oil meal cooker or analogous apparatus comprising aseries of steam hea *ed kettles or chambers l, 2, 3 and 4f, ar ranged ina descending series, preferably one upon the other, so that the materialcan discharge by gravity from one chamber to another through dischargeopenings c in the bottoms et the chambers. B indicates the usual arm orsweep, one or more of Which rotates in the lower portion each chamberfor stirring the material. rl`hese arms, as usual, are connected to arotary vertical shaft o extending centrally 'through the cooker. lnaddition to stirring` or agit-ating the material, the rotating armsfacilitate the discharge of the material through the discharge openingsa, and also produce a sort of Wave or ridge on the suriace of thematerial which follows the motion ot the stin rers, and is made use of,as hereinafter ex plained in closing the gates for the dischargeopenings a. The arm B in the top kettle also cooperates with theregulating means7 and assists in discharging the excess meal from thekettle.

The material is withdrawn from the bottom or lowest chamber l in theusual or any convenient way for forming cakes for introduction into theoil expressingV presses, and each of the other chambers is provided witha gate C which controls the discharge opening a thereof, and ispreferably hinged so to open downwardly into the next chamber below.These gates are adapted to be opened and closed in succession, or oneafter the other beginning with the lowest one, so as to deliver thematerial from the third kettle into the last one, then from the secondinto the third, and so on. Various mechanisms are known for this purposeand one such mechanism, which is disclosed in Patent Number 1,112,127,granted to me Sept. 29, 19111-, is briefly described and illustratedherein, but .it should be understood that this invention is notrestricted to this particular mechanism, but is also applicable to othermechan sms for operating the gates or effecting the successive dischargeof the kettles.

In the construction shown in the drawings, each gate C is secured to ahollow shaft D, through which extends a shaft E having secured on oneend thereof a float or device F adapted to ride or float on the materialin the chamber into which. the gate opens. The shafts D and E areoperatively connected by ratchet mechanisms G at their outer ends. Thefloat at the inner end of the shaft is actuated by the wave-l'ke motionof the material above mentioned, and as the depth of the materialincreases, operates through the ratchet mechanism G to turn the shaft Dand close the gate C. Each gate is held closed by a dog or latch it andeach dog is tripped to open the gate by al release er trip device H. Atthe proper time the trip device H for the lowest gate is operated,either by hand or automatically, and this gate cpens to discharge thematerial into the bottom kettle. `When this gate closes, as aboveexplained, its ratchet mechanism G actuates the trip device H for thenext gate, which then opens and closes in a similar manner and likewisetrips the latch for the next gate, all as fully shown and explained inmy said patent.

The regulating means shown in the drawings for controlling the level ofthe meal or material in the top chamber, preferably includes avertically arranged slide or gate L adapted to be adjusted in guides orways l secured to the outside of the wall of the chamber, on oppositesides of an opening L therein. The slide L is intended to be adjusted upand down to cover more or less the lower portion of the opening L', orso that its upper edge is raised or lowered relatively to the bottom ofthe chamber. The material that is being fed to the topchamber by theusual or any suitable feed or supply means M will accumulate thereinuntil its surface is substantially at the level of the top edge of theslide or gate L. 1f the bottom discharge gate a is not then operated todeliver thematerial from the top chamber to the next lower one, anyexcess material. fed to the top chamber can overflow or escape from thechamber through the opening L over the upper edge of the slide or gateL, such overflow of the material being caused by the rotary stirrer B inthe chamber. rl`he height of the top edge of the gate or slide L will,therefore, determine the depth of material in the chamber. Theoverflowing excess material can be delivered to a conveyor, meats box,or otherwise disposed of as may be most convenient or necessary,depending upon the location of the cooker or disposition of theapparatus in the mill. As shown in the drawings, the opening L issurrounded by an inclined discharge spout lll for guiding theoverflowing material into a feed conveyor or chute O which returns thematerial to a meats box (not shown). 1n some installations the excessmaterial may be conveniently discharged directly into a meats box, andthe conveyor O could then be dispensed with. The spoutl N shown isprovided with a slot a in its bottom wall to permit the free movement ofthe slide L.

Any suitable or convenient means may be used to effect the adjustment ofthe overflow gate L. The means shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 comprise a rackbar p secured to the slide L, and a pinion p meshing therewith. Thepinion p is secured on the shaft P journailed on the outside. of thechamber 1. The shaft is provided with a hand wheel p2 or the like forrotating the pinion. The gate can be secured when adjusted by a sutabledog or device p3.

The means shown in Fig. 5 for actuating the slide L comprise a screw Qswivelled in a bearing lug g on the wall of the chamber 1 and engagingin a threaded lug or part on the slide L. A hand wheel g or the like isused for rotating the screw Q to move the slide up and down in itsguides. Any other suitable means may be employed for adjusting theoverflow gate.

In the operation of the cooker the material will accumulate in the topkettle only to the required depth predetermined by the adjustment of theoverflow gate L, and when the discharge gates C of the kettles areoperated, no more than the predetermined quantity of material can bedelivered from kettle to kettle if each kettle is completely emptied.1f, therefore, the overflow gate L is set so that just enough mealaccumulates in the top kettle to fill the line of presses once, no mealwill be left in the bottom kettle when the presses are filled, and themeal cannot collect in this kettle and prevent the intended uniformoperation of the cooker.

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination of a series of heating chambers for oil bearing mealand the like arranged in a descending series and having openings topermit the passage of the material through the chambers in succession,mechanism for controlling the delivery of the material from one chamberto the next, and means for regulating the quantity of material in thefirst chamber comprising an overflow opening through which excessmaterial discharges from the first chamber after the material hasaccumulated in said chamber substantially to the level of the lower edgeof said overflow opening, and means for changing the elevation of thelower edge of said opening.

2. The combination of a series of heating chambers for oil bearing mealand the like arranged in a descending series and having openings topermit the passage of the material through the chambers in succession,mechanism for controlling the delivery of the material from one chamberto the nekt, means for regulating the quantity of material in the firstchamber comprising an overflow opening above the bottom of said chamberthrough which excess material discharges from said chamber after thematerial has accumulated to a predetermined level in said chamber, meanswhich agitates the material in said chamber and causes the discharge ofthe excess material through said overflow opening, and means forchanging the elevation of the lower edge of said overflow opening.

3. The combination of a series of heating chambers for oil bearing mealand the like arranged in a descending series and having openings topermit the passage of the material through the chambers in succession,mechanism for causing the periodic delivery of the material from onechamber to the next in succession, means for controlling the quantity ofmaterial delivered from chamber to chambercomprising an overflow gateover which excess material discharges from the first chamber after thematerial has accumulated substantially to the level of the overflow edgeof said gate` and means for adjusting said gate vertically.

a. The combination of a series of heating chambers for oil bearing mealand the like arranged in a descending series and having openings topermit the passage of the material through the chambers in succession,means for supplying material to the first of said chambers, stirrers foragitating and leveling the material in said first chamber, said stirrersoperating to create a wave in said material, whereby said material isforced upwardly and horizontally, an overflow opening in said firstchamber and through which said material moves hori- Mentally andvertically, said overow opening having adjustable means for regulatingthe elevation oi said discharge opening and for severing portions ofnthe horizontally moving material when the stirrers pass said opening.

5. The combination of a series of heating chambers for oil-bearing` mealand the like arranged in adescending series and having openings topermit the passage of the material through the chambers in succession,mechanism for controlling the delivery of the material from one chamberto the neXt in succession, means for regulating the quantity of materialin the first chamber, comprising an overflow opening above the bottom ofsaid first chamber, a slide gate lor opening and closing said opening,an actuating member for said gate, and interengaging parts on said gateand said actuating member, whereby when said actuating member is movedsaid gate is opened or closed more or less to control the quantity ofmaterial in said first chamber.

6. The combination of a series of' heating chambers for oil-bearing mealand the like arranged in a descending series and having openings topermit the passage of the material through the chambers in succession,mechanism for controlling the delivery of the material from one chamberto the next in succession, means for regulating the quantity of materialin the first chamber, comprising an overflow opening above the bottom ofsaid first chamber, a slide gate for opening and closing said opening, ar0- tatable actuating member, and interengaging parts on said slide gateand said actuating` member, whereby when said actuating member isrotated, said slide gate is ad- `iusted more or less to open and closesaid opening to regulate the quantity of material in said first namedchamber.

llVitness my hand this 23 day of December, 1919.

MICHAEL TW. FAHERTY.

TWitnesses:

Crans. GRAHAM, STEVE S, BoLrN.

